The 5 Best Travel Apps to Take Absolutely Everywhere

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There are approximately 8 bajillion travel apps in the world and at least four thousand of those sound pretty damn cool. But there are only a few that count as the best travel apps – the ones we used almost every day of our two-year bike tour and continue to use on a regular basis now.

Here Are the 5 Best Travel Apps

I can’t really describe how much we love this travel app. It’s so much more than just another map. It’s a ticket to real freedom: freedom to wander strange streets, take trails you don’t know, and head off into the unknown. Since PocketEarth works offline and shows you exactly where you are (anywhere in the world) you can explore with confidence, knowing you can always find your way back home.

The ability to make your own map pins (for your hostel, coffee, shops, sights, and restaurants you just need to try) is just an awesome bonus.

Sometimes I feel like listening to Ludacris, sometimes I want to listen to Wilco, and sometimes I want to hear the soundtrack from Nashville. Sometimes, I want to make a kickass playlist and listen to it offline when I’m riding my bike up a mountain. Yes, there might be some controversy about how much Spotify pays artists, but I really like having almost every song ever right at my fingertips.

Did you know you can use Skype to call regular phones? When we’re on the road, Skype is our go-to travel app for calling hotels, restaurants, our bank and friends around the world (if they don’t have FaceTime). At home, Skype is my only phone. The paid version even lets you get your own phone number so you can receive incoming calls.

Cost: Free app, $60/year for a phone number, very low per-minute call charges or monthly subscription ratesPlatforms: Almost every platform you can name.

There are a whole lot of hotel booking travel apps out there, not to mention websites. We’ve used them all, A LOT. Booking.com is my favourite: it’s easy to use, easy to find a specific price range, quality, or location of hotel, and it has a huge number of hotels even in weird out-of-the-way places. Also, their customer service is awesome and they reward you with discounts when you book a lot.

Finally, you can only add a review after you’ve stayed at a property, meaning the reviews are more reliable than on most sites.

Yes, you can be vegetarian when you travel. Happy Cow makes it a whole lot easier with listings of veggie restaurants around the world, including mysterious cities in the middle of mainland China. If you want to see the world and avoid killing animals at the same time, don’t leave home without Happy Cow.

Cost: Free appPlatforms: iOS, Android

Win a City Walks App Worth $4.99

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Sorry :(

We have 20 promo codes to give away for a City Walk app by GPSmyCity. The apps (which are only available for iPhone and iPad) include:

Hi, I’m Jane, founder and chief blogger on My Five Acres. I’ve lived in six countries and have camped, biked, trekked, kayaked, and explored in 50! At My Five Acres, our mission is to inspire you to live your most adventurous life and help you to travel more and more mindfully.